Charlie Woods Opens Junior Players With 71, Four Shots Off Lead

Charlie Woods has put himself firmly in contention at the 2026 Junior PLAYERS Championship, shooting a 1-under-par 71 in the opening round at the demanding TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The 17-year-old son of golf legend Tiger Woods carded five birdies and four bogeys to finish tied for ninth, four shots behind first-round leader Chase Bauer, who opened with a 5-under 67.

Woods’ 71 was his lowest competitive score at TPC Sawgrass, an encouraging improvement after he finished tied for 31st at last year’s Junior PLAYERS Championship.

Starting his round on the back nine, Woods endured an uneven opening stretch, making bogeys at the 11th and 14th holes.

He responded immediately, however, producing consecutive birdies at the 15th and 16th.

His biggest escape came at the famous par-3 17th hole, where Woods’ tee shot appeared to be heading toward the water surrounding the island green.

Instead, the ball stayed dry on the narrow walkway leading toward the green.

Woods then chipped to within about four feet and calmly converted the par putt.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Woods said after discovering that his ball had avoided the water.

Woods carried the momentum to the 18th, rolling in an approximately 18-foot birdie putt to make the turn at 1 under.

He added further birdies at the third and ninth holes on his second nine, although two additional bogeys prevented him from moving even higher up the leaderboard.

His five-birdie, four-bogey round left him four strokes behind Bauer and within striking distance heading into Saturday’s second round.

Play was affected by weather on Friday, with Woods finishing shortly before the interruption.

Woods’ opening round represents another step forward at a course that has special significance for his family.

He struggled during the 2025 edition, shooting rounds of 76, 75 and 72 to finish tied for 31st.

His 71 this time around already represents a one-stroke improvement on his final-round score from last year’s tournament.

The Junior PLAYERS Championship is one of the most prestigious events on the American junior golf calendar.

The 2026 tournament is being played from September 3-6 at TPC Sawgrass, with 78 of the world’s top junior boys competing in a 54-hole stroke-play event.

The setting inevitably draws comparisons with Woods’ father.

Tiger Woods won THE PLAYERS Championship at the same Stadium Course in 2001 and 2013, including his famous victory in 2001 when he produced a memorable 60-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole.

Charlie has been building his own junior career while carrying the inevitable attention that comes with being the son of one of golf’s greatest players.

Earlier this year, he verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State University beginning in fall 2027. PGA Tour reported that Woods had also been ranked No. 21 in the Rolex AJGA rankings at the time of his announcement.

He also won his first significant AJGA title at the 2025 Team TaylorMade Invitational.

With Bauer sitting at 5-under and Woods at 1-under, the teenager has work to do over the remaining rounds.

But his opening performance has placed him among the leading contenders and given him a realistic opportunity to challenge for the prestigious Junior PLAYERS title.

More importantly, the round demonstrated his ability to recover from mistakes on one of the most demanding layouts in junior golf.

The second round is scheduled for Saturday morning, when Woods will attempt to close the gap on the leaders and keep his championship hopes alive.